Known as the Soledad War Memorial, the cross is located around the center of the nearly 200-acre Mount Soledad Natural Park. Before it was put there in 1954, a redwood cross stood at the site from 1913 to 1924. In 1934 it was replaced by a wood and stucco cross that was destroyed by a storm around 1952. On April 18, 1954, the current cross was dedicated to World War I, World War II and Korean War veterans during an Easter ceremony.

The Thomas More Law Center, a nonprofit that defends the religious freedoms of Christians, is working to get President George W. Bush to make Mount Soledad a national historic landmark in order to preserve the cross. The center is asking supporters to sign a petition because our nation’s veterans, and all Americans who take pride in honoring them with these historic symbols, need your help.